


Lost Time

by ginnekomiko



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 15:36:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 9,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2626991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginnekomiko/pseuds/ginnekomiko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the little mini sequel to Shades of Gray. The story of Shion's twin brother, Kohaku.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Innocent Days

He’d almost forgotten what it was like to be around his sister when she was at her best.  Her smile, her sense of adventure, her boundless energy, he’d missed all of it so much.  
  
All those years of feeling like half of him was somewhere far away, of being afraid of what he would do if she were really gone, none of that mattered anymore because she was still here. That painful time was a dream now, nothing more. She’d be with him for years to come. The legendary dragons said so themselves.  
  
Granted, someone unexpected had come along with her.  
  
The boy who was always beside his sister was older, taller, and had a strange way of talking. But then again, his sister talked strangely. They had a way of understanding one another.  
  
Part of him wanted to hate N for becoming so important to his sister, but it was because of N that she was alive today. That mark that kept her heart beating had been N’s doing. N could have wished for anything, even a new world, but instead he wished for her to live. N was awkward in a lot of ways. He couldn’t talk to people unless his sister encouraged him to do it. It was always amusing to watch him try. He fumbled his words or would talk for too  long about how certain sciences worked, yet she always listened to it attentively.  
  
Kohaku resented how they always held hands, and smiled, and found wonder in everything. It was not like any adult relationship he’d ever seen.  In some ways, she was still the child he remembered from back then, but he had never been the same boy after seeing her get cursed. How she shriveled up from the pain. How she slowly withered away year by year. And then her prince came into the picture.  
  
That girl and the girl before him couldn’t be the same person. The girl in the white dress that stood before him was admiring the flowers with the Audino that used to be her nurse. She was waiting for N to return. N said he wanted to try to buy the groceries by himself this time. Even though she was here with him, she was moving on without him in other ways, moving towards N.  
  
Those days stolen by the curse would not be recovered.  
  
“Kohaku?” she asked as she approached him.  
  
 He looked up. “Yeah, Sis?”  
  
“You look bored, so let’s play! Tag, you’re it!”  
  
He hadn’t played tag in forever. A smile crossed his face. “You’re on!”  
  
Or perhaps, they could be.


	2. Shelter from the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion builds a fort to protect her from the night's storm.

“Sis, there’s going to be a thunderstorm tonight.”  
  
“There is?” she asked. She sounded almost excited. Odd. When they were younger, she hated them. “Audino! It’s going to be stormy tonight! Will you help me?”  
  
Audino nodded.  
  
What on earth was she doing?  
  
She had made a fort out of the pillows and blankets from the bed. “Let’s see, we’ve got blankets, and books, a flashlight. Now all we need are some snacks! Kohaku! Come into the fort!” she said as she pulled at his sleeve.  
  
He felt a little silly sitting on her bed surrounded by pillows and blankets, but when the lightning struck, she was unafraid. “It protects us, see?” she said.  
  
Audino nodded again.  
  
“Sis, when did you start doing this fort thing?”  
  
“It wasn’t me; Audino did it. She saw I was scared and so she put all the pillows and blankets around me and sat with me until it was over and I stopped crying.” She hugged Audino. “It’s why she’s the best nurse ever!”  
  
So it was their own little tradition.  
  
“Oh my gosh! I didn’t save N!” Shion exclaimed.  
  
Kohaku laughed, “He’s just in the other room. He’s fine.”  
  
“No! He’s got to be in the fort! It’s the safest of safe places!”  
  
Thunder roared in the distance. Shion ducked under the covers. So she _was_ still afraid of them. “Sis, do you want me to brave the hallway and go get him?”  
  
She nodded. “Go save him!”  
  
He moved one of the pillows aside and let himself out.  
  
“Be brave, Kohaku!” she called.  
  
Down the hall, N was sitting on the couch, drinking tea. He seemed perfectly content to watch the storm.  
  
“Sis wants me to save you,” he said.  
  
N looked confused. “Save me from what?”  
  
“The storm.”  
  
“We’re inside. We’re not in any real danger. Where is she, anyway?”  
  
“She’s hiding in her room with Audino.”  
  
“It’s just an electric discharge.”  
  
Kohaku shrugged.“True, but it’s a _noisy_ electric discharge.”  
  
“That’s because the air’s expanding due to the change in temperature caused by the lightning moving. It’s fascinating, really.” Kohaku sighed.N seemed completely oblivious. N glanced at him then. “You said she was hiding right? Is it the fun kind of hiding, or the scared kind?”  
  
“The scared kind.”  
  
 N paused. “Oh. She wants me to go in there?”  
  
“Yeah.She made a fort to protect us from the storm and everything. She was freaking out because she grabbed me and not you, too. So I said I’d save you.” At that, N laughed. “Humor me, okay? It’ll make her feel better.”  
  
“Very well.”  
  
He opened the door.  
  
“Hey, Sis! I saved N for you!” he called.  
  
She peeked her head out from under the covers and pillows. “Both of you! Get in the fort!”  
  
Suddenly her bed got very crowded. It was a little ridiculous.  
  
When the thunder roared again, she was worse than before, she was fighting the urge to shriek.

“Relax, Shion. It’s just the air,” N said.  
  
“It’s just air?” she repeated.  
  
“Yes. It’s reacting to a temperature change.”  
  
“It’s not a scary monster?” she sounded like a small child.  
  
“If it was a monster, it’d be a cute one. It’d be like a big Pikachu in the sky,” N said.  
  
 “Is the big Pikachu angry?” she asked.  
  
“No. The big Pikachu is just yawning. When they get sleepy they tend to discharge their extra electricity to help them relax.”  
  
“So it’s just sleepy? It won’t eat us or anything?”  
  
 N  nodded. “That’s right. It’s a nice Pikachu so there’s nothing to worry about. Do you want to sleep with Liepard tonight?”  
  
Shion smiled as the cat pokemon curled into her lap. “Mr. Kitty, you can take on even big mice, right?”  
  
"Of course he can." N got up from the fort. "I’ll be right outside if you need me, okay, Shion?”  
  
“Okay, N.”  
  
With that, N left.  
  
“Sis, do you want me to stay with you?” Kohaku asked.  
  
“Only if you want to, Kohaku. I'll be okay now, I think. I feel better knowing that it's a Pikachu up there. They're nice and not scary!”  
  
Kohaku leaned into her side. "Of course I'll stay."


	3. Difference

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku wonders how Shion does it.

When he looked at his sister’s team of pokemon, he was surprised at how calm they all were. Sure, the Zebstrika had a scary glare, and the Krookodlie liked to scare the crap out of him for fun, but her other pokemon were very nice. She could let any of them out and they always stayed right beside her, even the big ones. She even rode on her Zebstrika from time to time.  
  
His own team, by contrast, was an embarrassment. Only two of his pokemon willingly obeyed him; the Samurrot he’d started out with and the Emolga he’d saved from a trap. His Musharna who was too spaced out to care what happened. His Golurk was almost never in his pokeball for whatever reason. Mienfoo loved to spar with him when he didn’t want it to. He thought catching a Deerling would add a level of calm to his team, but as soon as he let her out, she double kicked him in the stomach.  
  
When Shion asked to see his pokemon he was a little apprehensive. "Well..."  
  
“Pretty please?” she asked, her eyes begging.  
  
“Shion, those pokemon are more wild than yours, please be careful,” N said.  
  
How could he tell that when they weren’t even outside their pokeballs? N was staring at him like he disapproved of something. He couldn’t win this.  
  
“Come on out, everyone,” Kohaku sighed.  
  
He wasn’t worried about Samurott or Emolga. Well, Golurk was MIA, again.  
  
His poor sister was going to get kicked, bit, or worse.But nothing was happening. No cross chop to the stomach, no shocks, no biting, nothing.  
  
She approached his Sawsbuck. “Oh, wow, Kohaku! Your Sawsbuck is super pretty!”  
  
“Don’t, Sis!"  
  
“You have such lovely flowers in your antlers! Can I touch them?” Shion asked.  
  
She was going to get kicked.  
  
Yet, his Sawsbuck simply kneeled down so Shion could touch them.“Your fur is so soft! And you smell wonderful. Would you mind if I leaned against you while I took my nap?” Again, complete obedience.  
  
“You’re very nice, Ms. Deer,” Shion said.  
  
“How is she _doing_ that?” Kohaku asked.  
  
“Shion understands pokemon. You simply use them,” N said.  
  
 “What do you mean?”  
  
“Kohaku, are you afraid of pokemon?”  
  
He hated how frank N could be. He laughed nervously. “Don’t be silly! I’m a trainer! Why would a trainer be afraid of pokemon?”  
  
“A pokemon _did_ nearly kill you,” N said.  
  
 Kohaku hung his head. “Don’t remind me.”  
  
“If you are not afraid, then you are simply a poor trainer.”  
  
“You sound like Hakumei when you talk like that, N.”  
  
“Where is Hakumei, anyway?”  
  
“She ninjas off when she wants to. What does Sis have with pokemon that I don’t?”  
  
 N paused. “Look at her relationship with Audino. They understand each other without words.”  
  
 Kohaku shrugged.“Yeah, well, Audino’s been around her for ten years. It’s understandable they’ve formed a bond.”  
  
 N shook his head.“Her other pokemon are just as young as yours, and yet when her lifeless body was taken by Zekrom, they fought with all their power to have him return it. I’d never seen anything like that before.”  
  
“What am I doing wrong?”  
  
“They can sense your fear and indifference towards them. You’ve made very little effort to bond with them outside of battling with them.  Now they are trying to bond with you by trying to engage you in fights.”  
  
“…They don’t hate me?”  
  
“No. They want to know you. You’ve never given them the chance.”  
  
“Thank goodness. Wait, why are you telling me this? I thought you hated trainers.”  
  
 N smiled. “I think you have a pokemon’s soul, but it’s a shy one.”  
  
“Man, Sis sure has some weird taste.”  
  
N looked confused. “Huh?”  
  
Kohaku smiled nervously. “Never mind, thanks for the advice.”  
  
“You are… welcome.”  
  
A pokemon’s soul? Nah. But Kohaku could see how N would think that. Shion was surrounded by their pokemon as she slept.


	4. The Song Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion finds an old journal of hers from when she was hospitalized.

It started when Audino came back with a package. Shion opened it quickly. “Oh, hey! You found my old song book! Thank you, Audino!”  
  
“Song book?” Kohaku asked. “Sis, what is that?”  
  
“Yeah. I wrote songs to keep me occupied while I was in the hospital when I was bored of knitting and doing puzzles.” She flipped through the pages. “Wow, that was a dumb one. Oh, I wrote that when I was seven, well, that explains it! I wonder if I can salvage any of these?”  
  
“Hey, Sis, can I see some of them?” he asked.  
  
Shion hugged the book close to her chest for a moment. “Um, let me look through it first. I think some of them got kind of dark towards the end. I want to remove those pages.”  
  
“Wait, don’t tear out any of the pages yet, please!”  
  
“But I don’t like the sad, dark me. The me who turned purple, who was going to just give up. That’s not how I want to remember myself. I’ve been rebuilding myself little by little since then.”  
  
“Because of N?” Kohaku asked.  
  
“A little bit, but mostly for me. For a long time, I was just the sick girl. I don’t want that to define me for the rest of my life. I  
also don’t want to be defined by N. I’ll play the part of the Pokemon Princess if it’ll help people understand them, but I don’t want to be that person either. Princesses don’t have flaws like people do.”  
  
“What are you going to do now?” he asked.  
  
“I want to be a pokemon musical dancer!” she said.  
  
“Professionally? You’re going to have to try out for that kind of thing. Are you sure you can compete against other people?”  
  
Shion nodded. “The thought is a little scary, but I want to do this. Even if I fail, I’ll keep trying. It’s why I asked Audino to help me look for the book. I want to use my own lyrics.”  
  
“You can sing?”  
  
She grinned. “A little, yeah. I use to do it a lot when they’d let me out into the garden. I don’t know how good I am, really, but the pokemon in the garden seemed to like it. Hey, Kohaku, what’s your dream?”  
  
He couldn’t answer her. He hadn’t had a hopeful dream since he was four.  
  
She handed him the book.“Here, you can look through it, but don’t tell Mommy or Daddy about some of the sadder stuff, okay?”  
  
“Sis, it’s okay to be sad, you know.”  
  
“I know that. It’s just the last time I was really sad, I turned purple. I didn’t like any of it very much.”   
  
“You turned purple?” Kohaku repeated.  
  
Shion nodded. “And bumpy and I got real sick. N was really nice to me, though. I thought it was funny because he really… hated people back then.”  
  
“He doesn’t hate them now, though, right?”  
  
“I’m not sure. He’s not as vocal about it as he used to be, but regardless if N is beside me or not, I want to be someone who can stand on her own two feet. Not a sick girl, not a princess, just someone with a path to follow. I want to be Shion.”  
  
“And for you, that path is dancing?”  
  
“I think so! Yeah!”  
  
What was his path?


	5. Shopping with N on a Snowy Evening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> N and Kohaku go present shopping for Shion.

“Kohaku,I need your help!” N said as he pulled him aside. It was rare that he got a request from N. Usually, if N wanted anything, he went to Shion or her Audino, but today, he went to him.

“With what?” he asked.

“Presents,” N whispered. He was looking at Shion from the corner of his eye.

“You haven’t gotten her anything yet? What kind of boyfriend are you?”Kohaku whispered back. It slipped; the word slipped right out of his mouth.

N looked down. “I want to make it a nice something, a BIG something, to make up for last year.” N tugged at the end of the scarf around his neck, adjusting it so that it covered more of his face. “..She made this… for me. “Back then we weren’t even really friends, but she still made me something with her own hands…”

Kohaku smiled a little. That was so like Shion. “What did you get her last year?”

N blushed. “Um…”

Kohaku eyed him. He knew that look. “You didn’t get her anything, did you?”

N looked to the side. “What she asked for in return was so simple in comparison. That’s why I want to get her something… special this year.”

“Fine; I’ll help you. I know her tastes.”

N grinned. “Thank you, Kohaku!” N more or less pulled him out the door.

“So what did you have in mind?” Kohaku asked.

“I’m not sure. How do you tell someone what you feel through a gift?”

“What do you mean?”

N paused. He ran the end of his scarf through his fingers. “Um, well, this scarf… reminds me of so many firsts. My first act to save another human being, my first true gift, my first friend, the first time I felt like this...” I want it to tell her, ‘please continue to be you. I value you more than anyone,’ something like that.”

“Do you want it to be a romantic gift?” Kohaku asked.

“Romantic gift?” N asked in confusion.

Kohaku panicked “You know, flowers, jewelry.”

N smiled. “Oh! Flowers might be nice! She loves those!”

N was earnest, he’d give him that much credit.Each shop they went to he tried to look for something that she would like. “Kohaku, how about this? She doesn’t carry much with her.  This sort of bag would be nice for that sort of thing, wouldn’t it?”

Kohaku smirked, "Well, that would stop her from keeping her pokeballs in random places like her hair."

“Oh! I should get her something for her hair, too. don't you think she’d look really cute with this color ribbons in her hair?”

“Yeah, I guess. Why are you buying extras?”

N grinned. “These are for Audino, if she wants them.”

Was it okay to give pokemon gifts? He never thought about that.

When they got back to the pokemon center, they found Shion knitting. “Where’d you guys go?” she asked.

“Nowhere,” they said together.

Shion looked at N. “Is something the matter?”

“Well, it’s almost the new year and…Um! Well, these are for you, Shion!” N exclaimed.

“Flowers?” she asked in surprise. She smiled. “Thank you, N!”

“I also have these! To make up… for last year.”

Shion kissed his cheek. “You gave me more than enough last year. You gave me all of this year.”

She always wore the ribbon in her hair. As much as Kohaku hated to say N was right, Shion did look cute with that color ribbon in her hair.


	6. First Anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's spring again and while N and Shion go out to look for flowers,Kohaku laments.

The first flowers of spring were blooming again.  If Kohaku was correct on his timing, it had been a whole year since the first miracle occurred.

Shion was quiet when she saw the flowers poke out of the ground. Kohaku couldn’t tell if she was happy or sad. She just gripped N’s shirt and stayed against him as he rubbed the back of her head.

Suddenly he felt very uncomfortable watching the two of them..  

She took a long walk with N to go look for the flowers. Leaving him alone.

He wasn’t jealous of N.So what was it?

“Are you sulking, Kohaku?” a voice asked from the ceiling.

Kohaku looked up. He had enough sense to roll away before the girl came crashing down on him.

“Where on earth have you been, Hakumei?” Kohaku demanded. “You’ve been gone for a long, long time!”

“I’m a ninja, remember? I was off doing ninja things for Lady Cynthia. As compensation for my services, she invited us all to a two week vacation in a fancy resort in Undella Town.”

Well, she was certainly dressed like a ninja in that getup.  “Won’t a trip like that be expensive?” Kohaku asked,

“No. It’s free.”

“What did you do, Hakumei?”

Hakumei glared at him.“That doesn’t concern you, Kohaku, even if it did, I would do my best to keep you as far away from it as possible. You’re much too nice for this sort of thing. Say, where are the two weirdos?”

“I think it’s their anniversary.” Kohaku muttered.

“Oh and you’re spending it all alone in a dark room? That’s awfully mature of you.”

“I’m trying to give them space,” he corrected. “Sis can do what she wants. She’s an adult.”

“Do you really believe what you’re saying? Do you honestly see her as an adult in a relationship with another adult? I think you want them to come out and say that this relationship is just a game to them.”

He bit his tongue.“She wants to pursue a career, did you know that?”

Hakumei looked surprised. “Oh really? Doing what?”

“A Pokemon Musical Dancer.”

Hakumei sighed. she ran her fingers through her long black hair. Her eyes were steady on him.“So no matter what you do, you feel you’re going to lose her is that it?”

Kohaku puffed out his cheeks.“Can you blame me? I just got her back!”

“No, but you cannot reclaim your lost childhood, Kohaku. I refuse to summon Dialga for the sole purpose of turning back your time.”

She could do that? He thought for sure Hakumei was just joking about a pokemon that could manipulate time, but...“What am I supposed to do then, Hakumei?” he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s simple. Move forward as adults.”

Was that even possible?

“Hakumei, what was your new mission?”

she glared at him again. Her pretty blue eyes were cold.“That’s classified.”

Kohaku sighed. Why was he always left behind?

 


	7. Something that cannot be Undone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While at the beach, Kohaku snaps.

It was supposed to be a fun day at the beach. They hadn’t gone to one since they were very little. The sun was shining and the sky was blue, it was a perfect day.

After lunch, it was decided that they’d let all their pokemon out to play with them. At first, he didn’t think anything of it. But something seemed off about her team….

Hovering over her sandcastle… It was that pokemon!

Cofagrigus.

Not again! He would not let the past happen again! This time he would be the one to save her!

“Get away from my sister, you monster! Samurrot, use Scald!”

“No! Kohaku, don’t attack him!” Shion screamed. It all happened in an instant. Shion, showing quicker reflexes then he’d ever seen her have before, had shielded Cofagrigus from Samurott’s attack. Her sandcastle was no more.  
  
He stood dumbfounded. “…Why, Sis? Why did you shield that monster?”

“Cofagrigus is not a monster! He only wanted to play with everyone!” Shion cried. She clutched her stomach.One of Cofagrigus hands reached for her. It looked concerned.

He remembered the feel of its hands on his throat as a child, how he couldn’t breathe…

“Don’t touch her!" Kohaku screamed. "Samurott!”

Samurott looked at him for a moment, unsure of what he should do.

“SAMUROTT, SIT! N snapped.

Samurott sat.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Samurott?” Kohaku demanded.

“What are _you_ doing? That’s your sister you just attacked!” N said.

Kohaku felt like he was going to cry. “That’s not my sister!” My sister would never shield the thing that almost killed her!”

“That Cofagrigus is her pokemon, Kohaku,” N said gently.

He couldn’t move. His body was frozen. “ _What_?" He looked at Shion desperately. No way! Sis! Why would you…?”

Shion was crying loudly, like a little child might. She was trying to hold her wound with one hand and shield her tears with the other. She was failing at both. She fell into the sand.“N! N! Cofagrigus he… he only wanted to play! He wanted to make friends, but Kohaku-”

With a surprising amount of strength, N lifted her up from the sand.“Shh, I know he did. Does it hurt?”

“Uh-huh. It stings really badly! But he- he tried his best to cast protect over me. Don’t be mad at him!”

“I saw that. He did a very noble thing. He lessened the damage you took for him. Tell you what, Shion, you just sit here with Audino and I’ll get you some ice cream, okay? You can eat it while we fix up your wound. Does that sound good?”

She nodded. “I want chocolate. Get some for Cofagrigus, too. Please, N?”

“Okay. I’ll be right back. You stay right there above the sand.”

Cofagrigus embraced Shion. His hands rubbed the burned flesh. “You’re a good boy, Cofagrigus” she said. “Thank you for making the hurting stop. You’re a really good boy.”

Audino sat beside Shion and comforted her; when she had calmed down, Audino glared at Kohaku. He’d never seen her look so scary in all his life. She didn’t stop glaring until N got back with the ice cream.

“Here, Shion," N said as he handed her the cone. "You and Cofagrigus eat these while we treat your wounds, okay?”

“Okay, N,” Shion said as she began to lick the ice cream."Heh, this tastes good!"

N smiled. "That’s my good girl. Hold still.”

Kohaku began to shake violently. What had he done? Without thinking, he ran. He did not rejoin the group until N went to look for him.

“There you are, Kohaku!” N said.

“N, how is she?” Kohaku asked softly.

“She’ll be fine. The damage wasn’t that bad. A little bit of burn heal went a long way. Now it’s just sore. It was just scary for her because you were so scary.”

“Was I really that scary?” Kohaku muttered, drawing into his knees.

N nodded. “Yeah. You were. I’ve never seen you like that.”

“I was… surprised by you. I never expected you to act so maturely, N.”

N smiled a little.“Truthfully, it felt nice to be the mature one for once. It always feels like I’m so dependent on her for everything, because she knows more about the world than I do. But really, she’s just as childish as I am. I don’t know if kisses actually help heal wounds but it made her feel better anyway." N's eyes turned serious. "Listen Kohaku, Shion may forgive you for what happened, but I certainly won’t. You were out to kill that pokemon and you dragged her into it. You needlessly hurt her and made her cry.”

“That pokemon ruined our lives! Why would she capture it?” Kohaku snapped. Hefelt the hot tears fall down his face. "It doesn't make any sense!"

“She wanted to forgive it,” N said gently. “Because pokemon can feel guilt just like people. Shion was giving him a second chance because she didn’t want to be stuck in the past.”

Kohaku paused. Was he stuck in the past? “I was just… trying to protect her. That’s all I’ve ever wanted since that day. If I had been stronger back then, she would have never been cursed, right?”

N stood up and tugged on his hand. “Come on, let’s go back. She asked me to find you and I don’t want her to get worried.”

Shion was sitting in the pokemon center. She was knitting something as she waited. A Liepard was stretched out over her lap. She seemed content to have it there.

“Sis…” Kohaku began. Shion turned away from him. He grabbed her arm. “Let’s talk about this and then we can go to sleep, okay?”

She pulled her arm away from him. This caused Liepard to jump off of her lap. “No! I’m sleeping by myself!” When she saw his confused face, she corrected herself. “Well, not _by myself_ by myself. N’s letting me borrow Mr. Kitty because he’s warm and soft on my hurt tummy.”

“Does it… still hurt?” he asked, regretting the words as soon as they came out.

Shion glared at him. “Of course it still hurts! The nurse said I was really lucky that protect worked as much as it did! My burn could have been much, much worse! I could have been… in the hospital again.” She began to cry again.

Again, because of him.

He reached his hand out towards her. “Sis, I…”

She turned away from him and headed towards her room. “Goodnight, Kohaku.”

 


	8. The Audition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shion is one step closer to achieving her dream.

When Kohaku awoke the next morning he was unsure how to approach Shion. The thoughts from the other day weighed heavily on his mind. When he looked for her, he couldn’t find her anywhere. N was sitting on the couch in the hotel room munching on some toast. He wasn’t panicking, so Shion was probably safe.

“Hey N, where’s Sis?” Kohaku asked.

“Oh, didn’t she tell you? She’s out auditioning.”

No, she hadn’t. “Auditioning for what?”

“It’s a talent contest of some sort. Talent scouts are supposed to be there. It’s going to be televised. I was going to watch it and then vote for her. it tells the agents who the general public is interested in.”

“Do you think she’ll be okay? I mean she’s still…”

“She has a strong team with her and I checked her burn; it’s calmed down considerably. I was going to accompany her, but she asked to do this on her own. I didn’t want to disrespect her wish.”

Right, this was her dream.

“What if she fails?” He asked.

“Then she’ll come back and cry about it for a little while, but we’ll move forward.”

Well _someone_ was calm about the possibility of having dreams crushed.Kohaku watched N’s hand move across the table.“What are you doing?”

“Designing," N said. "I want to build a pokemon sanctuary someday. I’m trying to get an idea of what I want, and how I can make it work.”

“Is that your dream, N?”

“Yes.” N checked the clock. “Oh, it should be on now!” The name of the show was Poke Idol, sponsored by Poke Star Studios.  Shion was number 15 out of 100.

“Aww, she’s a pretty Cresselia,” N said with a smile."Hakumei did a good job on the design. The colors of her outfit match that pokemon’s feathers and then there’s the crescent moon clips in her hair.”

“Where’d she even get those clips?”Kohaku asked.

N blushed. “I bought them when we were out shopping.”

Kohaku sighed. “You spoil her, N.”

“I do not!” N protested.

“That skirt is a little short…”

“I thought so too, but Shion said she couldn’t dance the way she wanted in a longer dress. It’s cute, but I don’t like the skirt. It makes people stare at her legs.”

“Isn’t that the point if she’s dancing?”

N pouted. “It’s not the same kind of staring. A lady shouldn’t have to suffer the indignity of being leered at.”

“Will it make her defense fall or something?” Kohaku asked.

“That was a horrible pun,” N said.

“Who cares? Sis is coming on.”

Her song was very high energy. Once the lights fell on her, once the music started, she began to move. She was putting everything she had into the dance. In contrast, the lyrics to her song were simple, but not too simple.  It was a song about a moon princess and how she watched her lover on the earth below. How she could do nothing but watch, stuck in an unending dance around him. Her Swoobat was helping the atmosphere of the performance by acting as the messenger between the boy and the princess.  The princess and the messenger were interlocked in a dance of their own. He’d never imagined someone who’d been stuck in a hospital for so long could move like that.

“Sis’s really good….” he murmured.

“It’s captivating, isn’t it?” N said with a smile. “I love watching her when she’s like this.”

“It is."

"Did you know? That dance is actually how Swoobat express their love for one another.”

That fast swaying was an act of love?

“She found a way to express that with a human’s legs instead of wings. It’s fascinating, really, and it’s nice to know she pays attention to her lessons sometimes.”

“How’s that going, N? Is she hard to teach?”

“She does well with her lessons if she’s interested in them. The hardest part for me is trying to make them interesting to her.”

The number ended when Swoobat used Heart Stamp and kissed her on the nose. Shion looked very worn out. She was breathing heavily. N dialed the number on the screen.

“Hey, N, do you hope she wins?”

“Yes and no. I want her to place well to boost her confidence, but if she places high, she might have to compete against others again. If this is something she truly has to do on her own, I won’t see her as often. It’ll be lonely without her around. It’ll be alright for awhile, though. She won’t know the results for a few weeks, maybe even months.”

“How is she going to get back here?”

“She’s going to fly back on her Swanna. I’m going to sit outside and wait for them to come back.”

“But that could take hours.”

N was unfazed. “So? It’s a nice day; I’ll read a book.”

A few hours later, N looked up from his book. He’d heard the flapping of wings.

Shion got off the back of Swanna. “Thanks Swanna!”She was extremely bouncy. “N! Did you see me, did you?”

“Yes I saw you. You were amazing.Why don’t you change clothes and then lie down? It's nap time.”

“N, is that book interesting? Will you read me some of it, just until I fall asleep?”

N paused. “It might be a little complicated for you, but alright.”

Kohaku gulped. Now was he chance to make things right. He smiled at her as she came through the door. “You were great, Sis.”

She smiled back at him. “Thanks!”

Had she forgotten about before?  
  
When she came back out, she was in her light pajamas. She curled up next to N and listened as he read aloud the most boring sounding book about engineering. Still, the two of them looked happy. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep, though. She was lucky. He’d probably have to have his Musharna help him sleep again tonight. The guilt from before was eating at him again.


	9. Dream World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku just wants to dream.

Ever since the incident with Cofagrigus as a child,Kohaku had been plagued by recurring nightmares. It got so bad at points that his father went and caught him a Munna before he was even old enough to have a pokemon. In a lot of ways, that Munna was like his sister’s Audino. While his other pokemon often did as they liked; Munna really seemed to care about him. She did not kick, bite, or punch him. She was the only one allowed to sleep by him at night.When she evolved to a Musharna his dreams became much, much calmer.

N said it was because had a much stronger connection with her than most of his other pokemon. N also advised him to think about his relationships with his other pokemon. From what he could tell, they weren’t very strong. Even Samurott, his most-used pokemon, only felt a mild liking for him. That stung a bit.

Kohaku sighed. It’s not like he really wanted to be a serious trainer.No, the time of his journey had been a deliberate distraction from his sister’s ever approaching death. Could his pokemon sense his half-hearted desire? N said they could, but N was a weirdo who put way too much stock into these kinds of things.

He wanted to sleep.

In his dreams, he could be young again; there was no curse, no creeping threat of death, no tragedy. There was nothing but him and his sister. They could live out their lives together with Cheren and Bianca. In his dreams, the four of them went on a journey, together. He would try to stop his sister from doing something reckless, and then Cheren would scold her. In her frustration, she would puff out her cheeks like a Jigglypuff, but in the end Bianca would help them make up and everyone be happy.

It didn’t matter if he was the weakest of the four of them, as long as they were together, he was content. But then he would always wake up, as an adult, with the dooming realities before him.

One night, a strange voice entered his dream.

“What if I told you I could make everything real?”

Kohaku paused. “Could you?”

“Yes. Would you like me to?”

The temptation was too great. “Yes! Please reset my time so that my sister and I never ran into that horrible monster that day!”

“Very well,” said the voice.


	10. Quality Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which N and Shion spend a day at the beach.

N awoke to the smell of food. Shion was downstairs. She was humming softly to herself as she cooked. Audino was helping her. A year ago she hadn’t cooked a thing, now she was good at it.

She smiled at him when she saw him. “Oh, N! Good morning!”

“Good morning. What are you making?”

“Pancakes! Do you want some?”

“Sure.”

“Is Kohaku up yet?”

N yawned a little. “I don’t think so.”

“I’ll save some for him. I want to let him sleep if he needs it.”

N sat down and took a bite of the pancakes. “This are really good, Shion.”

“Are they?” she tasted them herself. “Oh! They came out just right! Audino! Have some!” Audino nodded in approval.

“What do you want to do today, Shion? Are you going to practice your routine?”

Shion shuffled her feet. “Not today. I was thinking…. Could we go on a date?”

The request caught him off guard. “A date?”

“Uh-huh, we could walk along the beach and go into the ocean and just… be together.”

He had been meaning to check for Staryu while they were here. He wanted to study their cores. There was something he wanted to make. “Okay.”

Shion clapped her hands together. “Yay! While you finish eating, I’m going to go get ready!”

“Have you had breakfast?” N asked.Audino was giving him a disapproving look that said “no.” He eyed her. “Shion.” He noticed she stopped mid-step when his tone changed..

“I’m not hungry,” she said in a defeated, but defensive tone.  
  
She’d said that for a while now. “Is something wrong?”

Shion cocked her head. “How could you tell?”

“I noticed you don’t eat a lot when you’re stressed. You haven’t really been eating since you got burned by your brother.” He said it.The Donphan in the room had to move.

“It wasn’t his fault! It was mine….” Shion began.

“No, it wasn’t your fault," N corrected. "Kohaku overreacted.”

“I just wanted to fix things between us. Now I've made it worse. He’s become even more withdrawn than before.”

N sighed. “I don’t know how to help you. I’ve never had a sibling. I don’t know how that relationship is supposed to work, but I do know it’s bad for you to not eat. Please don’t make me worry about you.” She considered for a moment. “Here, have one of mine.”

Shion sat down beside him and took a bite of the pancake. “Heh, these are pretty good.”

“I told you that you were improving.”

“Sorry N, I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I’ll forgive you this time, but you have to take care of yourself, okay?”

She put her hand over her heart. “You’re right. I absolutely cannot waste my gift,”

***

Once they got down to the beach, her mood changed. She was her happy self. She smiled and played with their pokemon by building a trench in the sand while he combed the beach looking for Staryu. Her Krookodile kept jumping up from hiding in the sand to surprise people. Shion ran in and out of the water trying to follow him, but got scared off by an army of Krabby and Corphish. She didn’t follow again until her Swanna blew them away with her wings and then offered to act as a flotation device. Krookodile stood by the shore, mouth open. Nothing would come near where she was swimming.

N pocketed his findings. As he thought, a broken core wasn’t that different than a living core in terms of coloration. He could use this. Of course he’d pay his respects to the dead Staryu. But it would live on in a different way now as something new and beautiful. If he could just find a nice Kadabra or Alakazam, his project would be complete.

Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the small moments. The smell of the sea, the taste of the salt in the air, and the warmth of their connected hands as he pulled her out of the cold water.

“N, do you want to build a sand castle with me?”

Something tugged at the back of his mind as they were building the small scale model of the familiar castle. With his father gone, what had happened to Team Plasma?


	11. Alternate Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into Kohaku's dream.

“Kohaku, wake up!” a voice called.

Kohaku’s eyes snapped open. His sister was standing over him, a bright smile on her face. “You can’t oversleep today! I won’t allow it!”

“But, Sis…” he murmured as he rubbed his eyes.

He noticed that she had a large gash on her arm. That… wasn’t there before. He was going to ask her where she got it, but then he noticed the strange scar over her heart was missing. It couldn’t have healed, could it?

Shion’s hair was tied up into a large ponytail instead of down. She wore a shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap instead of a dress. She tugged on his arm. “Come on! If you don’t hurry, Bi and Cheren will get to pick their starters before we do! I want to make sure I get a Tepig!” shesaid.

He shot up and checked the calendar on the wall. Today was… the start of their journey? How was that possible? He rubbed his eyes again.

“Kohaku! Do I have to drag you down the stairs, or what?” she called.

He shook his head. “Coming!”

What _was_ this?

He watched her leap and bound out the door.  She had so much energy, just like before!

“Bi~ Cheren~” she called. “Sorry to keep you waiting!”  
  
“Don’t worry about it,” Cheren said. “I’m just glad you waited. I was concerned you’d try to battle a pokemon one-on one again, Shion.”

Shion pouted. “I would not! That was a one-time thing!”

“I still can’t believe you took on an Ursaring, Shion!” Bianca said with a grin.

Kohaku stopped walking. When had _that_ happened _?_

She grinned proudly, showing off the gash on her arm. “I can use Mega Punch! Right, Kohaku?”

Wait, she’d punched out a bear? Of course, it was to protect him. This, wherever it was, the events were different. Instead of being cursed, instead of having the life sapped from her slowly and painfully, all she had to endure was a slash attack.Why wasn’t he surprised? She was his talented and strong older sister, after all.

Yes, this… this world was right.


	12. In This Ideal World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kohaku wakes from the dream.

At first, their journey together had gone smoothly, but everything changed when they went to Accumula Town and Shion saw a rally of a man promoting the liberation of pokemon.  
  
“Hey, Kohaku, do you think what pokemon trainers do is wrong?” she asked, holding the pokeball in her hand as if contemplating it.  
  
Kohaku sighed. “You can’t seriously be thinking about what that old guy said. Sis, you know you’re not a bad trainer to your pokemon. Why is this bothering you so much?”  
  
Shion shrugged. “I guess I never really thought about it before. Why _do_ people use pokemon the way they do? What’s the truth of it all? Or are we really just idolizing the relationship between us? I hope that battling with others will give me my answer!”  
  
But over time, arguments began. Her ideals on what was right were changing, she was no longer the sister he knew. She seemed like a different person. After a time, she stopped battling all together.  
  
Then one day, she disappeared.  
  
“Wait! Sis!” Kohaku called, reaching out for her as he ran into the darkness.  
  
“Relax, this is only a dream,” the voice who had brought him here said.  
  
Standing before him was Reshiram. The space around them was completely white. “Why did you show this to me?” Kohaku demanded. “Why did you trick me?”  
  
Reshiram shrugged his white wings. “It was not a trick. I was curious. Did this ideal world of yours where there was no curse truly make you happier?”  
  
 Kohaku paused. “I’m not sure. In some ways that didn’t really seem like Sis, but it was still nice to see what might have happened. Only, why did it stop there? Why did she disappear like that?”  
  
“Because in this world, it was you who died.”  
  
“I WHAT?” Kohaku shouted.  
  
“You, Kohaku, tried to be my Hero to stop your sister from doing something reckless. You failed in the summoning ritual and it killed you.”  
  
“I really tried something like that?” he smiled a little. “I guess I did if it killed me.”  
  
“From the moment you three were born, we knew that our paths would cross in one way or another.”  
  
“You three?” he repeated.  
  
“Yes, you, your sister, and the boy who calls himself N.”  
  
“Why me? I’m not like Sis at all. I could have never been a Hero to you or Zekrom. I’m too… unsure of myself.”  
  
“It seems you were never meant to be. We have a third aspect,” Reshiram said.  
  
“You have a what now?” Kohaku repeated.  
  
“He is called Kyurem and he has been…. stolen.”  
  
“Stolen? By who?”  
  
“Team Plasma.”  
  
“Wait, Reshiram, if it’s Plasma, your Hero is their King. Ask him to help.”  
  
Reshiram shook his head. "If I do, Kyurem could kill him out of jealousy. I cannot allow that. We three need our heroes alive so that we one day might become whole again.” Reshiram sighed. “I am glad our heroes this time have become lovers. Their hearts are filled with a desire to connect the Truth and Ideals of the world, not stand in opposition as the twins had.”  
  
“Why are you asking me to help you? I'm not...strong.”  
  
“Kohaku, you feel discarded, do you not? Much like Kyurem,” Reshiram remarked.  
  
 Kohaku shook his head.“I don’t really feel that way anymore. I lost a lot of years I wanted to spend with her to that curse, but even if I had stopped it, it wouldn’t have changed much, would it? One of us would still be hurting. I guess I do have something I can do. How can I help Kyurem?”  
  
“Find him before the events I have foreseen come to pass.”  
  
 Kohaku thought for a moment. “How much time do I have?”  
  
 Reshiram closed his eyes. “A year. The two Heroes will be separated soon. When the time comes, all three of you will meet again, in unison or opposition. One of us will fall to Kyurem. That will determine the fate of everything.”  
  
“Man, Sis is not going to like this at all. Wait… I wonder if she’ll break up with N?”  
  
“Who knows? I can feel my Hero’s heart. He is still very conflicted. He loves your sister, and this forgiving land of Unova deeply. He wants to protect them from the shadows of his past which have begun to reappear. The fate of your sister is uncertain. All I know is that the two Heroes will break apart for a time. That is why I’m asking you to look for Kyurem before he freezes the whole land in his despair.”  
  
Kohaku shuttered. “He can do that?”  
  
Reshiram nodded. “Yes.”  
  
Kohaku sighed. “If I’m going to help you, I have to wake up first, right?”  
  
“Yes, you are worrying your sister.”  
  
 Kohaku smiled. “Hey, Reshiram, thanks for showing me this. I feel a lot better about things turning out the way they did.”  
  
For a moment, he could have sworn he saw Reshiram grin. “You are welcome. You always had the potential to be a hero, Kohaku, you simply lacked the desire.”  
  
Well, now he’d found it.


	13. Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes fate isn’t fair.

It took a few days, but things returned to normal. It was as if Kohaku’s decent into the dream world never happened. At least, those two didn’t press him for details on why he slept for so long. He was glad for that.  
  
“Shion, since we’re in town for one more day, let’s go to the seaside carnival,” N said. He sounded like an excited child.  
  
“Kohaku, will you be fine on your own while we go out?” Shion asked as she gathered the dishes.  
  
 Kohaku smiled. “Yeah, Sis. Don’t worry about me. You two have fun.”  
***  
Shion grabbed N’s hand and smiled, pulling him slightly as they walked together down the beach. “Oh look, N! They have a Farris Wheel! Let’s go on it!”  
  
Well, a ride like that would be as good a time as any.  N fumbled his hand in his pocket. Good it was still there.  “I… I have a present for you. I, um, made it myself. I hope you like it.”  
  
Shion waited and eyed the object in his hand, her eyes widened. “Oh wow, what a pretty ring! You _made_ this?”  
  
 N beamed. “You really like it? The red gem is the core of a Staryu. Don’t worry! It wasn’t alive when I took it out!”  
  
“That’s good. I’m glad. Why are you giving this to me? You already gave me a present for our anniversary, remember?”  
  
 He looked at the floor for a moment before looking her in the eyes. “This is different. Shion, I was wondering if maybe… you would…  I mean, Shion, would you marry me?”  
  
She all but tackled him into the seat on the side. It caused the cart to rock slightly. “I will! I will! I will! Of course I will!”  
  
N sighed, putting his arms around her. “Thank goodness.”  
  
“Were you afraid I’d say no?”  
  
“No, but… that was really scary!”  
  
 She smiled. “So, I have another question! Will you tell me what that N in your name stands for now?”  
  
“I suppose so.” He whispered it in her ear.  
  
“ _Really_?” she asked.  
  
“Really,” he sighed.  
  
“Hmmm, can I call you Nat, then?”  
  
“Nat?” he repeated. His ears flushed. “I guess that’s acceptable. Listen, there’s something I have to do before we can get married.”  
  
“It’s about Ghetsis, isn’t it?” she asked as she leaned into his chest.  
  
 N looked surprised. “How did you know? Did Plasma contact you as well?”  
  
“I just… had a feeling you wanted to go after him. His escape made the news after all. I saw it when I went shopping this morning. Then I got a call from Aoi. You remember him, right? The nice cop from Kanto?”  
  
“Yes, I remember him.”  
  
“I can’t go with you, can I?”  
  
“This is between us as a family. I don’t want to involve you if I don’t have to. I don’t want to see him kill you again.”Shion puffed out her cheeks in frustration. N laughed a little bit. “You look like a Jigglypuff when you do that. Shion, will you look after my pokemon for me while I’m gone? I tried to release them, but after seeing their sad faces, I didn’t have the heart to go through with it, but I think… no, I know they’ll be happy with you. They love you just as much as I do and I know you’ll take good care of them while I’m gone.”  
  
She looked shocked. “You’re not taking them with you, either? But I know they’d protect you!”  
  
 N nodded. “If I do find my father, I don’t want to settle things with a pokemon battle. I want to settle this with words, my own words. Reshiram should be the only one I’ll need. I want to believe in my ideals.”  
  
Shion smiled warmly. “I’m proud of you, Nat. You’ve really grown as a person. I’m sure your daddy will be surprised when he sees you.”  
  
“I’m so sorry, Shion, but I feel this is best thing I can do for you.”  
  
She smiled again, like she was trying to hold something back. “It’s okay, really! I’ll have your pokemon with me as well as my own, so I won’t be lonely! I’m sure Kohaku will stay with me, and I’ll keep performing, too! So I’ll… be okay even if you’re not actually here with me.” She gripped tighter to his jacket.  
  
“Thank you for understanding, my princess. You don’t have to be brave for my sake.”  
  
“I understand it, but it’s still not fair! Promise me you’ll be safe, okay?  You have to come back to me! Pinky promise it!”  
  
“I solemnly swear that I will return to you unharmed. In exchange, you can’t do anything to endanger your life, understand? No being reckless while I’m away.”  
  
“Deal!”  
  
“And try not to skip your nap time just because I’m not there to remind you. Don’t pass on eating your vegetables either.”  
  
“Alright, alright, I’ll be a good girl while you’re gone, I promise.” She paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind. “Hey, um, Nat?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
She shook her head. “Oh, never mind! It doesn’t really matter. So when are you leaving? Will you stay for breakfast?”  
  
“I’m going to leave tonight, Shion. _After_ your bedtime.”  
  
“No fair! I don’t even get to see you off? I guess it would be hard to say goodbye if I did.” She put the ring on her finger. “Well then, from now until bedtime, our hands are like Magnemites,” she gripped his hand tightly. “Bzzt. It can’t be undone!”  
  
“But a short distance apart is okay? One of us will have to buy food.”  
  
“Yeah, but we always have to come back.”  
  
“Fair enough.” He poked her forehead. “Bzzt.”  
  
She laughed and hugged his arm as they got off the Farris Wheel. “I want to play some of the games while we’re here! Oh look! They have those puzzle cubes that you as prizes today. Do you want one?”  
  
He didn’t say anything, but she could tell by his face that he did. “Shion, the odds of you winning are slim. They rig them against you.”  
  
“I want to try anyway. I want to win you the thing you like!”  
  
“Shion, it doesn’t really….”  
  
“Look! Look! I got one! I’m lucky, remember?” she proudly displayed the puzzle cube. “Here Nat, for you!”  
  
“Thank you. I’ll keep it with me while I’m away. What do you say we go somewhere nice to eat tonight? I’ll treat you.”  
  
“Yes!”  
***  
Kohaku turned as he heard the door to the beach house open. He saw N carrying Shion on his back as he entered. “Looks like you two had fun.”  
  
“We did. I think it worn her out.” He placed her on the couch, but sat beside her, their hands connected. “Kohaku, I’m going to be leaving Shion for a little bit. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

“Are you breaking up with her?” he asked in shock.  
  
“No! It’s just… I have something I need to do and I don’t want her to get hurt because of it. Please, take care of her for me. I’m sorry if… I got in the way.”  
  
“It’s okay, I was mad at myself more than anything and I was stupid and took it out on you because you were there for her in my place when I should have been. She’s going to be upset when she wakes up, isn’t she?”  
  
“Yeah, probably. She wasn’t happy when I said I was leaving.”  
  
Kohaku noticed the ring on Shion’s finger, but he said nothing. “N?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Be careful, okay?”  
  
“I will.” He leaned forward and kissed Shion on the forehead. “Please be safe, my love. Goodbye.”  
  
Kohaku watched their hands disconnect, Shion’s hand fell to her side. N edged his hat over his eyes as he walked out the doorway.  
  
“Later, Kohaku.”  
  
“Later, N,” was all Kohaku could think to say.


End file.
